She will live!
by Sango Nanami
Summary: Levi and Petra were in an intimate relationship from the start. He had planning on proposing, but those plans came to a halt when she was crushed by the female titan. But what if Levi had stopped to save her? to perform CPR and try to bring her back? to save her, and unknowingly, their child (I know. Yet another Sango Nanami pregnancy story ... THIS WAS ON MY TUMBLR BEFORE)
1. Chapter 1

RE-UPLOADED

When it all was right…

"Hey, Levi…" Petra said as she leaned up next to her lover, who was still asleep. She played with his hair. It was so smooth… so soft. She kissed him on the cheek.  
"Leeeeevi…" she whispered again. He opened his onyx eyes.  
"Hi." He smiled and turned over to face her and gently kissed her warm lips. It was a warm, summer morning. Birds were singing, and he couldn't help but find a certain uneasiness that he simply shook off. No room for forboading feelings the day of a mission to wall Maria. He pulled her in for a kiss and pulled her ontop of him.  
"No, it's too early." Petra moaned. In a split second, he turned her over and was on top of her.  
"Well if you're tired, then I'll just have to do all the work." Levi said as he moved his lips from her lips to her neck.  
"Heichou! Heichou! There's an emergency!" Eren was heard knocking at the door.  
"What?" He said, letting out a groan  
"Petra-san isn't in her room!"  
"She went to go brush the horses since you've been doing such a shitty job of it." Levi said as Petra quickly got up, and put on her dirty uniform from the day before. Levi made a face  
"Do you want me to go meet her out there, then?" Eren asked, still outside the door. Luckily, Petra was the fastest at putting her gear on, so by that time she was all hooked up and had snuck out the window on the way to the barn.  
"I would hope so." He said

When it all went wrong…

"PETRA, STRAIGHTEN YOUR BALANCE! PETRA!" She heard the voice, but the female titan was chasing her. Too fast. too fast to outrun, too fast to slip by, and definitely too fast to fix her gear in time. Then it happened. She felt a giant foot pin her against a nearby tree. Everything but her head was felt as if it had shattered instantly. She fell to the ground, limp and bloody As she stared up at the trees, the last thing she saw before it all went black was Eren transforming.

Levi swung between tree after tree with his 3D maneuver gear. He needed to find the others. He had heard nothing from them and seen none of them. He started to see the dead bodies of his comrades. One by one. Every one of them were dead. Then, that's when he saw her. he instantly dropped to the ground.

"Petra?" he said. No response. He cared about his comrades' lives, but hers was the one to stop him In his tracks. He put two fingers on her neck to feel for a pulse. Nothing. She was still warm, though. This couldn't be happening. No, this couldn't happen... This wouldn't happen! He wouldn't let it! In a surge of desperation, he gently laid her broken body onto the ground and unbuttoned her shirt, and cut off her bra so he could try cpr to get her heart going again. He tried and tried. Pushing on her chest and forcing air into her over and over again. Finally, after ten minutes, the longest ampunt of time he could spare without attracting titans, he stopped, and went up to the trees with her body first so she would be safe. He brought the others up too, but he was cradling Petra in his arms. Levi knew there wasn't time now to say goodbye now, so one by one he brought them to the carriage carrying the few bodies that they had recovered. Levi carefully placed them on the cart and slowly let go of her hand. As he let go, however, her eyes suddenly shot open, and she gasped for air.

"Hei…chou." she said weakly as she tried to get up, but couldn't because of the pain.

"you just stay here and I'll go find the brat." He said with a poker face. No one was allowed to know about Levi and Petra.

They finally arrived back in wall Rose. Most of the squad was either dead or wounded. Erwin had told them he would take responsibility for this. It wasn't right that he would be blamed, but surely he and Eren had some sort of plan to escape the trial that would come for them to take away and execute Eren. Petra's father approached Levi, ecstatic to see his daughter insisting that Levi marry her. Levi grimly lead him to the stretcher that Hanji and Reiner were carrying Petra in with. She smiled weakly at her father.  
"Heichou… saved me…" she said between gasps of air.  
"Oh Petra, I'm so sorry I let you join the scouting legion! You should be back home with your mother and I, and-."  
"Heichou…" She said as she weakly turned her head toward Levi. She tried to reach out her arm to hold his hand, but couldn't lift it more than a foot without without letting out a blood-curdling cry of pain and dropping it. Hearing that one scream shut up all of the citizens going on about how their tax dollars were "just going into fattening up the titans.". Levi turned to Petra's father.  
"I promise, I will never leave her side again." He said. Once they got back to the base, Petra and the others were brought down to the infirmary. Levi kept his promise and never left her side. The only reason that she was still alive was because of the shape of the titan's foot. Her high arches had just missed Petra's internal organs, and cracked as they were, her ribs had held up against the force. Levi felt responsible. He never forgave himself for that. Hanji was, of course, the doctor who had the task of setting each and every bone back to its normal position. Levi had some knowledge in the medical field, And since he was such a perfectionist, he was stitching up the wounds on her head and parts that Hanji had finished while Hanji operated. That gorgeous sleeping face of hers. Seeing it and the body he knew so well under the bright lights from the many torches and candles lit would have been beautiful if she weren't cut open.  
"Ok, done with the ribcage. Heichou, could you stitch that up while I start on the pelvis?" Hanji asked  
"Sure." Levi replied. He picked up the new needle and held it over a candle for a second to sterilize it. He pulled the black thread through the needle. First he stitched her neck very carefully to avoid arteries. Next came her collar bone, the space between her breasts, and finally he came to where Hanji had stopped cutting for the ribcage and finished stitching as precisely as he could.  
"Oh... That's wierd." Hanji sighed  
"What?" Levi asked with a sense of urgency.  
"There's a slight swelling of the uterus. It's easy to miss, but it's just a little more than it would be pre-menstrually. She must have an infection of some sort."  
"Oh no." Levi blurted out.  
"You don't mean..." Hanji was shocked  
"..." Levi, who was just as shocked as Hanji, didn't say anything  
"please tell me you're joking!" Hanji asked  
"..." Levi felt a little light-headed now, but he was able to shake it off.  
"You and-..." Hanji asked, still in disbelief that someone like Levi could feel anything positive, let alone sleep with anyone.  
"Perfect." She groaned  
"We didn't mean to, she didn't even tell me! it just... Must have happened..." Levi said quietly, finally shaking off the dizziness.  
"This is exactly why commander Erwin put you two on different shifts! ... Then again, how this little one survived that impact alone is nothing short of a miracle. Let alone the training and fighting." She said after an awkward silence.  
"strong little brat." Levi smirked and looked away.  
"I'm sorry about this... But you have a decision to make since Petra can't make it herself." Hanji said grimly.  
"It's not my decision to make." Levi said.  
"Listen, it's true that the human population is very low right now compared to what it once was, but-"  
"Petra wants it. I won't let you get rid of it without her consent!" Levi said.  
"You do realize that she could very well die in childbirth because of the circumstances?!" Hanji struggled to avoid shouting. Men can mean well, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Levi couldn't explain why he was acting like this. Something about her...  
"... We have to tell the commander. And inform her family since they'll take the baby if she dies." Hanji said grimly. Levi was about to protest more, but had to keep his composure.  
"... How long will this take to heal?" He finally asked. By now, Hanji was back to resetting Petra's bones.  
"Luckily, not all of her bones are broken. Just her ribcage, legs, and pelvis. It will take a few months for her to recover, but it will take her even longer to get back up to speed. I can only imagine that that kid will take quite a toll on her too." Hanji said.  
"Oh my god..." Levi sighed, cradling his head in his hands. Hanji gently put a hand on his shoulder.  
" hey, you're going to be out of commission for a while too with that concussion." She smiled.  
"That's true..." Said Levi, staring at Petra's stitched up body. After he left, Hanji put her in bandages and brought Reiner and Bertholdt in to bring her to her room.  
"The only survivor on the center squad?" Reiner asked  
"Aside from Eren and Levi, yes." Hanji said.  
"Wasn't she hit the worst?" Bertholdt asked  
"There's a pretty good reason she's holding on." Hanji smirked " Don't tell anyone else, but we're pretty sure that she's protecting precious cargo, if you catch my drift."  
Bertholdt instantly felt sick. Reiner looked at him with the same expression in his eyes. The same exact thought.  
'What have we done?'  
Levi was by Petra's side when she woke up. Since she was too weak to embrace, and since everyone was there, he couldn't kiss her. The most he could do was smile and say.  
"You did great."  
She smiled back. For a second, it seemed as though the two were the only ones there. He looked into her glittering eyes and she looked into his. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.  
"Hanji! What about-... Is my... My..."  
"You're going to be fine and so will your baby. You've got a tough little bun cookin' in there." She smiled, gently patting Petra's flat stomach.  
"... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just... I didn't want you to worry."  
"It's okay."  
"So, how are the others?" Petra smiled, but it quickly disappeared seeing everyone else's faces  
"Am I..."  
"The only survivor in your squad aside from Levi and Eren." Said Erwin, walking into the room.  
"Commander, please don't-"  
"Calm down, Petra. You're not getting kicked out or transferred anywhere. It would be too dangerous for your baby, and the population is just too low to allow that. For your sake too. You need to be kept in a place where there are trusted comrades to protect you. Besides, we have a wedding to plan, don't we?" Erwin said with a grin, hiding all that had gone on with the titans and how the female titan had gotten away.  
"A we-..." Petra was stunned when she heard it.  
"By my estimations, we have about three months until you start to show. If we have the wedding in one month, you can write your parents that you're pregnant and they'll be thrilled since you'd be a married woman." Hanji smiled.  
"... Well I had planned out a better proposal for after the mission. that sounded more like a battle plan than anything..." Levi said, taking the small box out of his pocket.  
"Hei-... Levi!" Petra said out of shock  
"What's wrong?" He asked  
"I... No, it's nothing. I will marry you. " she moved her hand over to him so he could put the ring on her finger.  
"Alright, everyone. I think Petra's had enough excitement for one day. Let's let her rest." Erwin smiled. He , Hanji, and the others left quietly, wishing her and the baby well. Levi kissed her hand, let out a smile and left as well leaving Petra. By herself. What was she to them now? No longer a soldier, that was for sure. There was no way around it; in their eyes, she was nothing but a human incubator. She figured that they'd think that way, when she skipped a period that month. It wasn't fair, but it was how things were going to be from now on. Even Levi seemed to think that her pregnancy... Their baby... Was simply part of humanity's retaliation, and his marriage proposal was empty... A way to avoid a scandal. Petra looked at her left hand and the glittering diamond ring on it. Why did she say yes? She was so angry at him for not defending her and just following orders. Orders that didn't involve her well being at all! Only that of her unborn child. She already loved her baby so much, but who was going to be its mother? Who was going to love and nurture it. She somewhat shivered at the thought of Levi caring for a baby alone. That night, Petra cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Bones can heal fairly fast, but a heart never does. Petra took all the medicine and prenatal vitamins as she was instructed and told Hanji how she was feeling when asked, but other than that, she barely spoke to anyone. She flat out ignored Levi, and pretended to be asleep when he came to visit her. Plans for the wedding could not be made without the bride's opinion (as per custom of the new age), so they were brought to a screeching halt. A month passed. Her stitches were removed not leaving a single scar, and she was back on her feet. As soon as Petra got up (with the help of Hanji and Mikasa), however, she giggled.

"What is it?" Hanji asked

"My baby… I feel more weight in my stomach now that I'm standing." Petra smiled and took a step forward. It was a little awkward at first, remembering how to walk, but she got it after a few tries. She changed out of her loose pajamas and put on her casual clothes. She had to struggle a bit though to get her shirt to button over her small baby bump. Eventually, she gave up and put on a t-shirt. She went outside and over to her horse, who they were in the process of breeding. She was lying down and seemed depressed. As soon as she saw Petra, however, her eyes lit up. Petra walked over and started brushing her horse's mane.

"It's ok, Cadence. I know how you feel." She said. The horse nuzzled up against her. She started thinking. Thinking about what they had said to her when she first woke up again. Why? Did Levi even love her, or was he just commanded to impregnate the strongest fighter? No… He loved her. He must have! If he didn't, then he wouldn't have done the things he did. Cuddling her all night, the occasional gift, Flowers every Friday… That couldn't have been fake. The horse quickly got up and whineyd loudly.

"What's wrong, girl?" Petra asked, grabbing the mare by the reins.

"I guess she's not very happy with Black Dynamite right now." Petra looked towards the doorway and Levi was there, holding his horse by the reins as well.

"I see why you're so upset, Cadance. They paired you up with **_that_** stallion for breeding." Petra said coldly, leading the horse out of the stable.

"Where are you going?" Levi asked

"I'm leading her out to pasture before your stud scares her half to death." She snapped at him and finally said, "it's what's best for the baby, right?" in a sarcastic tone.

Levi just stood there, silent. Still not understanding why she kept getting angrier and angrier at him.

"Petra!" He shouted as he saw her get on the horse and ride off. There was a possibility that she could miscarry, and that would certainly break her heart.

"PETRA!" He shouted again as he raced after her. He saw her ahead of him and caught up in a matter of seconds.

"PETRA, GET OFF OF THE HORSE!"

"NO!"

"IF YOU KEEP THIS UP, YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THE BABY!"

Petra didn't respond in anything other than getting Cadance to run as fast as she could without risking losing the foal. The mare didn't seem to mind. She just looked back at Petra with a fire in her eyes as if to say

"Let's shake them off."

Petra pulled back the reins and the mare stopped in her tracks. The extra weight on her allowed a quick, but messy stop to let the boys pass and have to turn around. Petra was instantly thrown from the sheer force of the stop. Levi quickly jumped off his horse and caught her, breaking her fall. He gritted his teeth in pain as he hit the ground hard.

"Let go of me!" She snarled at him as she struggled to escape him

"What is your problem? Why are you so angry with me?" He shouted. He was too strong. She was locked in his embrace.

" just let me go! If you don't already know why I'm angry at you, then you don't deserve to!" Petra struggled against him

"Petra, just calm down." He said

"NO, YOU… YOU.." Speechless with rage, she finally broke out of his arms and gave him a hard smack in the face before running off to calm down her horse. It was pointless. Eventually she would calm down, though. Why she was so angry? He had no idea… Maybe Hanji knew?

"And just one more drop of sulfur, and…"

"HANJI!" Levi kicked open the door

"Oh, hi, Heichou. I was just making something for the baby!" Hanji smiled as she held up the beaker that was now filled with several chunks of a gold-like metal

"What is it?" Levi asked

"Iron Pyrite. A.k.a fools' gold. You can bury it for a treasure hunt game. What happened to your arm?" Hanji asked, pointing out Levi's bleeding arm.

"I jumped off of a horse to save Petra." Levi said non-chalantly.

"WHY WAS SHE ON A HORSE?!" Hanji shouted.

"She was trying to get away from me, and when I asked why, she flipped out at me! I swear, I'll never understand you women!" Levi said

"Well do you have the vaguest idea why she's angry at you?" Hanji asked, putting disinfectant on the gash in his arm.

"OW! No… I heard her talking to her horse before she took off. It's the one that's having the foal next month. She said… 'I know how you feel'."

"Well," Hanji said as she stitched up the wound, " I think she's talking about your baby. Maybe, from how we - …OH, I GET IT!"

"Get what?" Levi asked impatiently.

"You remember how we explained what would happen and kind of forced your marriage proposal on her?"

"Yeah."

"Well maybe she thinks your proposal was just following the commander's orders, and that you don't see her as a lover, but as a tool to help repopulate!"

"That's impossible, she would never think like that!" Levi said

"I don't know. When you're pregnant, hormones can take over fast. Beside the point, we don't know how pregnant she actually is yet since she won't tell us when she started noticing the symptoms." Hanji grumbled as she put Levi's arm in a sling "you did a pretty good job twisting up the muscles in your arm."

"Well, how do I get her to talk to me again" asked Levi

"Well, do something romantic! Something that says 'I care'. And she'll probably tell you everything." Hanji said…

Petra lied back down on her bed. She was back in the room in her favorite nightgown. No commands, no Levi… Just her and her baby. And with almost ironic timing, another wave of nausea hit.

"You never do give me a break, do you?" She laughed and went down to the kitchen to get something ginger.

"Hanji was right after all. You do get your morning sickness at night." Levi was waiting at the table.

"What were you planning?" She asked.

"Nothing, I just want to talk. I finally figured out why you were mad at me."

"You did?"

"Of course I did. I can't believe I didn't before. I can't believe you thought we were gonna use you to repopulate." Levi said

"Well, the way you said it when I first woke up, sure sounded like it." Petra moved her bangs away from her face.

"Yeah. It ruined my proposal plan." Levi sighed. Petra took off her ring and gave it to him.

"Can you show me what you had in mind?" She asked out of curiosity.

" here's how it was supposed to go." He got up and took her by the hand,

" your father met us at the gates. I would have asked his permission first. Then, I would have gotten everyone's attention, taken you by both hands, and said; Petra Ral, you are my reason for fighting, For staying strong. I want you by my side always. I want to defeat the titans with you, retire and have children with you, and do all that corny shit that people in love do. Petra Ral, will you give me the honor of being the happiest man on earth? Then finally, I would have gotten on one knee and asked you to marry me straightforward." Levi explained as he got down on one knee and held up the ring to her.

"And I would say how cheesy that speech was, but still cry and say 'yes'." Petra smiled, tears running down her face. She held out her left hand again for him to put the diamond ring on, and hugged him tightly. He held her with his good arm and kissed her on the lips again and again.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry.." Petra said between kisses.

"Petra, you have nothing to apologize for. You felt used and alone and I just stood by." He said. If not for his damned arm he would have carried her up to his bedroom right then and there, but instead, he just kept her near him. That alone was enough for him. Suddenly, Petra was hit with another pang of nausea. She ran for the sink, and Levi held her hair back for her.

"Ugh… I feel- …" She fainted and he caught her… Barely…

"HANJI!" He called. No response

"HANJI… ERWIN… EREN… ANYONE!" Nobody was awake.

"Tch… Shit." He sighed as he gently laid her on the ground. He quickly ran downstairs.

"Wake up, brat! I need your help." Levi said, using the hilt of his sword to make a loud noise on the bars of Eren's cell

"Hn? What?" Eren asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Levi opened the cell.

"Petra fainted and I can't carry her back to her room with one arm. It kills me to say this, but… Will you… Help me?"

"I guess." Eren said, getting up. Eren picked up and carried Petra while Levi held up the lamp to get them to her room upstairs.

"Could you bring her up a cup of ginger tea, too?" Levi tried to ask nicely, but just ended up creeping out Eren.

"Uhh—… Yes, Heichou!" He said and ran downstairs.

"Uh… Levi." Petra said, opening her eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked

"Did it happen again?" she replied

"What do you mean again?" Levi asked in suspicion.

"Sometimes I get so sick I pass out, that's all. Hanji said it's just that I'm so tired" She put on a fake smile

He put his hand on her forehead.

"You have a fever. You were too active today." Levi took off his scarf, poured water from the pitcher on her dresser on it, and put it on Petra's forehead.

"Levi." She said

"Don't worry about it. You'll have to get well soon. I don't like you being sick. Especially while pregnant." He said as he tucked her in.

"I'm fine." Petra blushed. Levi walked around to the other side of the bed and snuggled up to her.

"If you were fine, you would have kissed me right now." He said in a smooth voice.

"I just threw up. Do you really want me to kiss you?" Petra asked, raising an eyebrow.

"… Well played." Levi smirked. He layed his head down on her stomach.

"What are you doing?" Petra giggled

" I read somewhere that you can feel babies moving inside their mother."

"Levi, I'm only two months in. It doesn't know how to move yet. That should be at the five-month mark." She explained

"Hanji did want to know how long you've been pregnant."

"Well now you can tell her." Petra yawned. Levi put his hand on her stomach

" I can't believe we're going to be parents." Levi said in disbelief

"I can just see her now. She'll have my eyes and your talent for killing titans." Petra smiled

"Or my eyes, and your talent for killing titans." Levi said

"a girl with your intimidating stare?" Petra laughed at the idea alone

"Who said anything about a girl?" Levi teased at the thought of a 'Lance Corporal Levi Jr.' single-handedly saving humanity.

" well what if i want a girl?" Petra pouted using her best puppy dog eyes.

"… You can have anything you want. You always get your way anyway with that face." Levi smiled.

"Sorry the tea took so long, I couldn't find the ginger root- oh! Uhh… Am I interrupting something?" Eren blushed, walking in on the two cuddling.

" No, everything's fine, Eren. Could you bring the tea over here please?" Petra smiled Eren did as he was told. Levi got up from the bed, walked over to her side, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good night. I love you." He smiled at her.

"I love you too." She smiled back

"I've never seen you so sweet to her and that isn't even your baby." Eren said after they had left. Levi instantly held him up by the collar of his shirt.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Levi asked with an instant fury blazing in his eyes.

"Well, you're not married, right? Well don't two people have to be married to make a baby? They send a letter to the stork who sends a baby egg for the mother to swallow and then nine months later, she spits up a baby. Well she must have been alone when she wrote the letter since you didn't know about it." Eren said. Levi looked him dead in the eye.

" so let me get this straight, you think that humans reproduce by writing to birds?" Levi asked. Eren nodded and levi knee'd him in the gut and let him drop to the ground.

"OW, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Eren shouted.

"Because apparently, your parents never had 'the talk' with you about the birds and the bees, I guess I will. Come on." Levi let out a sigh

"Yes, sir! Umm. What does that have to do with the stork, sir?" Eren said, following as he was told to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you, kyle43000 for the awesome advice! I've been trying to do that, but my computer keeps derping on the copy-and-paste feature. I'll keep that in mind, though ^_^

Episode 22 killed me. So I've decided that Petra's revival caused a shift of some sort in the timeline. So the story changes from there.

Chapter 3

2 months later...  
"Petra, wake up!" Hanji burst into her room. A very sleepy Petra reluctantly sat up with her hair in tangles from the night before.  
"What?" She yawned  
"It's 9:00! The ceremony starts at noon!" Hanji reminded her.  
"SHIT!" Petra shouted as she jumped out of bed. She only swore on certain occasions, and this was one of them. Hanji had already set up her bath and Mikasa was putting the finishing touches on her dress' embroidery. Krista made the dress from a pattern she had drawn herself. It was layered in a special way to hide her baby bump and Mikasa added some special embroidery touches her mother had taught her so long ago. The waistline was pulled up to just below the bust, a baby blue satin ribbon made up the belt and a matching choker. The ribbon belt and embroidery made the dress look like cascading white petals with lace borders. Hanji lent her a pair of shoes as long as she gave them back after the wedding. Finally her mother gave her the pair of pearl earrings that was passed down from mother to daughter on her wedding day.  
"One day, Petra... You'll get to give these to your daughter." Her mother said, tears welling up in her eyes. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.  
"Stop crying, your eyeliner will run!" Sasha said, handing Petra a tissue.  
"I'm sorry, it's just... I dreamed of today, but never imagined it would happen... Just..." She broke into a sobbing fit. The girls went over to comfort her and fix her makeup. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun.  
"Alright, now. Lets get you some breakfast." Hanji said finally.

"Give me the lint brush. This suit is filthy." Levi said as he cleaned off his white suit that once belonged to his father. Eren was constantly amazed at how thorough he was with cleaning.  
"Did you polish the rings like I asked?" Levi said to Jean.  
"Down to the microscopic level as you instructed." Jean said, opening the box and revealing two glittering rings with "Levi and Petra Jul. 17, 850" engraved in cursive on the inside.  
"... They'll do." He said. Jean let out a disappointed sigh since be was up until 3 am polishing them.  
"How do you like your hair?" Erwin asked, holding up a mirror.  
"I look like you, you bastard." Levi glared at him.  
"Alright, alright. I'll fix it." Erwin laughed  
"Just put it back to what it usually is. Petra likes that hairstyle anyway." Levi said  
"I don't understand why you're gonna give up chicks and settle down with the girl you knocked up. With your looks, you could have anyone you wanted." Connie said, adjusting his tie.  
"You're too young to understand. I don't expect you to." Levi said  
"What, just because you're a few years older than us, you do?" Connie asked with an attitude.  
"... I'm 34." Levi said. The entire room went silent as the new recruits realized Levi's age. Only one thought came to their minds after a while:  
"How old is Petra, then?"

"The time is now the day is here" was written on each program. Inside, there was a short bio of the bride and groom (Levi's idea), and a list of hymns and songs for the ceremony like "all I ask of you", and Petra's favorite hymn, "blessed be the tie that binds". Erwin had connections in the capital and had an arch made especially for the occasion. The florists had worked exceedingly hard to decorate it with honeysuckle, daisies, ivy vines, and most importantly, zinnias. Each flower had its own special meaning. The aisle wasn't anything at all, really. Just grass with small potted rosemary plants lining either side.* there weren't many guests. Just Petra's family and the members of the scouting legion that weren't on patrol. Levi was perfectly content with just signing the marriage certificate and getting it over with. Petra, however, said once that she had always wanted to have a wedding ceremony and Levi wanted nothing more than to see her get the wedding of her dreams. As she floated down the aisle in the dress that made her look like a walking white rose with her father by her side, he noticed her eyes watering as she tried to hold back tears. Her bouquet was made of violets, blue and red salvia, heliotropes, and honeysuckle wrapped in ferns. Again, each plant held its own meaning.* she smiled at him, and the entire world seemed to disappear as they recited their marriage vows. Repeating after Erwin (who was presiding over the ceremony) what their parents before them and their parents before them had said; to give their undying love and devotion to each other. For richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do they part. Death, which had happened to so many, but not Petra and their baby due to nothing less than a miracle of God.  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."  
Without a moment of hesitation, Levi locked lips with his new wife. People applauded and threw rice as he picked her up and carried her back down the aisle over to the waiting carriage. Once they were in, they continued their long french kiss until they were back at the fort where everyone was surprisingly waiting.

"So Captain Levi, will I be expecting any grandchildren soon?" Petra's father asked with a smile at the reception. Levi nervously swallowed his champagne  
"Well, uh..."  
"Everything in its own time!" Petra giggled. Her parents, of course, had already picked up the signs. The loose dress, the hasty planning. The very fact that she wouldn't drink any alcohol was a dead giveaway to her father. Her mother just saw it in Petra's eyes. She never could hide anything from her parents, but they just ignored it anyway. Everyone else, however, didn't notice, more or less. The reception lasted until about 9 pm and eventually, everyone went home. Levi, of course, supervised the cleaning up after his own wedding. Petra almost had to physically drag him inside.  
" one day without cleaning is all I ask." She laughed.  
"I'm sorry, they just... They weren't-"  
"I'm kidding! Jeez, what are you going to do when the baby won't clean its room?" Petra laughed imagining that.  
"Can we forget about the baby for say... One night back in our room?" Levi asked  
"Only because it's our wedding night." She grinned and let him carry her upstairs.  
"... I want you to be happy, you know... More than anything in the world." Levi said on the way up  
"What made you think I wasn't happy?" Petra asked  
"What I mean is... Well, I don't want you to think I'd be disappointed in you. I've always Admired you as a soldier, not just as a woman. If you had died back then, I... I don't know what I'd have done with myself." Levi blushed.  
"... You're no good at romantic speeches, but I appreciate the effort." Petra smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Well, now that that's over with, we can write to Petra's family that she's pregnant. They have almost no medical knowledge, right? So they won't know the gestational difference between nine months and five." Hanji said, helping herself to a leftover piece of cake.  
"My biggest concern is what's gonna happen once that baby comes?" Mike said. This was supposed to be a private conversation between the superior officers, but the new recruits, who were still picking up, were listening in.  
"There's no doubt it has its father's endurance, that's for sure. Either that or Petra's body can withstand amounts of stress way off of the charts. It's not gonna be pretty when she goes into labor if it's the latter." Hanji explained  
"So what you're saying is that if that's the case, it'll be a battle for life between mother and baby when the time comes." Erwin said  
"Precisely." Hanji said  
"Let's only assume that as a worst-case scenario. Now if that were the situation, how would it be dealt with?" Asked Mike  
"Well, we'd have to deliver the baby via cesarean, but it would be risky. Before the titans, humans would do them all the time. Now... Well, let's just say I'd prefer a time machine or at least a decent hospital. I think that once their *ahem* honeymoon is over, we should talk to them about giving Petra an honorable discharge and sending her back home where she can go to doctors that can at least provide anesthesia." Hanji explained  
"Are there any tests that you can perform to see why the fetus has survived so much?" Erwin asked  
"I do have a few. Regardless, how would we take care of it here? In the city, lesser quality food is available, but at the same time. There are schools and playgrounds, and more importantly, other children." Hanji said.  
"But the problem would be getting her to agree. Petra's not the type to just drop everything and just leave. She even told me that once she's off maternity leave, she's coming right back to the front lines." Erwin said  
"She really does have her heart set on raising that baby here... What if we have her reassigned to the garrison so she'll be just inside the wall?" Mike suggested  
"We have to say something." Krista quietly whispered to The others.  
"If this keeps up, Petra-san will end up a simple military wife." Jean said  
"We have to stop this!" Eren said, getting up.  
"Eren!" Mikasa shouted as he walked towards the officers. Reiner also walked over.  
"Permission to speak, sir." said Eren  
"Granted. What is it?" Asked Erwin  
"What will it take to keep Petra-san in the scouting legion from here on out? Reiner and I volunteer to help with protecting them if that's an issue."  
"Eren, Reiner, that's very kind of you, but-"  
"Sir, I volunteer as well! I have a lot of experience taking care of my little cousins along with nurse's training." Krista spoke up.  
"My uncle is a royal surgeon in wall Sina. I can call in a favor." Jean said  
"And my mom makes baby clothes" Connie said  
"I can see about a crib!" Sasha said  
"I can get my family to send a milk cow!"  
"And mine can send a quilt!"  
One by one, the new recruits lined up offering help. Before he knew it, Erwin was up to his ears in offers for help. He thought about it for a minute, and finally said  
"Listen, there's always that chance that the female titan is still among us."  
"We are prepared to fight." Bertholdt said as he and Reiner gave the salut. Ymir looked at them suspiciously before giving her salute. Next was Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, and the others. Finally, Erwin said it;  
"The soldier, Petra Rivaille... Will stay at the headquarters with her husband and unborn child! There is one condition, though. You must all participate in helping them. A room must be cleaned and furnished. Clothing and blankets made and bought. Furthermore, guest rooms must also be prepared for a midwife, and the surgeon to stay in to oversee the delivery! After that, well... The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child. Can you all prove that a legion can do so as well?"  
"YES SIR!" They all said in unison. A letter was sent to Petra's family, and to the king explaining the situation and requested Jean's uncle arrive to help in the delivery four month from then, which was approved. All that was left was all that cleaning...

* FLOWER/ PLANT SYMBOLISM EXPLAINED

(i got bored. Why not... Yolo.)

Daisies- hope against evil

Ferns-sincerity

Honey suckle- bonds

Heliotrope- eternal love

Ivy- friendship continuity

Rosemary- remembrance

Blue salvia- I think of you

Red salvia- forever mine

Zinnia- thoughts of absent friends

Violet- loyalty, devotion, and faithfulness


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

(Pre-chapter author's note: do you know what's funny? I'm writing this, and I'm a virgin...)

Everyone woke up bright and early to help Levi clean the baby's room. They lined up after breakfast giving their salute.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." He said "have any of you ever seen an unpolished stone room sparkle?"

They all looked at him in confusion. Some shook their heads, some stood still.

"Well, you will today. I expect there to be not a single speck of dust, dirt, or grime of any type on this floor, ceiling, or any of the walls. I also expect it to remain so until the baby comes. Do I make myself clear?" Levi explained, pacing back and forth in front of the troops

"Yes sir." They all said and got to work. Each soldier either was on a team, or in a pair. For example, Jean, Ymir, and Mikasa were to scrub the walls. Bertholdt and Reiner, the ceiling. Krista and Eren were setting up the crib and furnishings while Armin and Nanaba brought in the gifts and decorations from Petra's family and Sasha and Connie cleaned out the guest rooms and put away the meat and good vegetables sent from the king. Connie, of course, put the food away while Sasha cleaned, oblivious to the fact that there was meat in the vicinity. Levi would come in once in a while to check everybody's work.

"Heichou, how does the crib look?" Krista smiled since she put it all together while Eren was putting together the changing table.

"Hmmm... Did you put any weight on it to test?" Levi asked

"No." Krista said. Levi left the room for a few minutes and came back with some bricks. He dropped them into the crib, and it held up against the force.

"One or two bricks weighs about as much as a baby. Test every piece of

Furniture out with the bricks from now on. I can't have the brat falling." Levi explained, walking out of the room.

"The baby seems to be perfectly healthy, from what I can tell." Hanji said with a grin as she took off her stethoscope.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or girl?" Petra asked

"No. Before the titans, they used to, they could even show you a picture of your baby right now!" Hanji explained and sighed "I wish we could do stuff like that now. It would make things so much easier."

" I just want to know..." Petra sighed

"If it makes you feel better, there are a few old wives tales." Hanji said

"Like what?" Petra couldn't help but get excited at the thought,

"Well, the baby has a faster heartbeat, and you're carrying high. That's supposed to mean it's a-"

"Oi, What's taking so long?" Levi kicked the door open.

"Levi, you just made it in time. I'm making an educated guess on your baby's gender." Hanji said, fixing the latch on the door.

"Well, what is it?" Levi said with a slight sense of anticipation in his voice.

"According to the baby's heart rate and the way Petra's carrying, now don't quote me on this, there's a higher chance that it's a girl." Hanji said with caution.

Those words struck Levi like a bolt of lightning. A girl. What was growing inside of Petra was no longer a formless, genderless creature. It was a baby girl. Not just any baby girl, his and Petra's baby girl. Their baby girl. Their baby girl that had already survived so much, proven herself to be so strong, and hasn't even been born yet. Their baby girl who was the daughter of two of humanity's strongest fighters. Baby girl, baby girl, baby girl... The two words repeated in Levi's head over and over again. the sudden realization of the reality that he was going to be a father to a baby girl made Levi's head spin until he had to sit down.

"I was thinking about names... How about... Anastasia? It means resurrection and rebirth. Sort of like humanity against the titans right now." Petra smiled. Levi walked over, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Anastasia sounds perfect."

"Well, it looks like we've caught someone in a rare mood!" Hanji said

"Shut up, shitty glasses." Levi said with a glare.

"Oh, I almost forgot! The Commander wants to see you both in his office. He told me to tell Petra that after her check-up.

"About what?" Levi asked

"I don't know, but he said it was important." Hanji said. Levi let out a sigh. When Erwin had an important issue, he wasn't fooling around. The last "important issue" was the breach in the Trost district. They walked together through the seemingly endless hallway with fingers intertwined. Petra started to shake. She was equally afraid of being apart from Levi as she was of being kicked out of the scouting legion. She didn't want her baby to be ignorant of the life outside of a small town in wall Rose.

Levi was equally afraid. He preferred to have his wife and child safe inside the walls, but still... He didn't want to be apart from them. He was prepared to do anything to make sure that she stayed. He turned to her.

"No matter what happens, I love you." He said in his usual stoic way.

"I love you too." Petra uttered in a choked up whisper. They finally got to the door. Levi opened the door and held it for Petra. As soon as they entered the room, and saw Erwin's face, their fears were confirmed.

2 months later...

Erwin had not thought things through. When the king had received the letter requesting Jean's uncle to be present at the delivery, it was also picked up by the head of the military police. Corrupt as they were, military laws were upheld for even the smallest infraction. For the scouting legion and garrison, that is. Especially with the scouting legion, their moral opposites. For a superior officer to even flirt with a fellow squad member is strictly prohibited, let alone impregnate one. They both wore their uniforms to court. Petra, however, had to wear a maternity version specially designed for her. They both sat at the defendant's desk and held hands under the table.

" proceeding to the sexual harassment case of the military police versus the scouting legion. Military police, state your case." The judge said calmly.

"As you know, one of the biggest crimes for a soldier to commit is sexual harassment. Private first-class Ral, now Mrs. Rivaille, was an extraordinary soldier who could have one day gotten a promotion to our branch, but then it changed when she was assaulted and that child was conceived. If your honor would grant it, I would like to ask private first class Ral and lance corporal Rivaille a few questions." Said the speaker for the military police.

"Granted" the judge said as the speaker started to basically interrogate Petra.

" would you prefer Private first-class Ral, or Mrs. Rivaille, ma'am?" He asked almost sarcastically.

"Private first-class Rivaille. To my knowledge, my rank hasn't changed since I got married." Petra said.

"I see." He said as he started pacing back and fourth. "Tell us, Private first-class Ral... How old are you?"

"I'm 24." She said, annoyed

"And how old is your husband?"

"34." She said

"You're telling me your husband is ten years older than you?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me," he said with a grin as if to proclaim his victory from there. "How did you two get together? Enlighten us as to how this all started."

Petra blushed and smiled to her self. "My husband saved my life on numerous occasions. We met when i was just a rookie, I was stuck inside a titan's mouth by the legs. People were telling him to leave me to die. He, of course, cut the titan's mouth open, and carried me out."

"Why couldn't you cut yourself out?" The officer asked

"I was out of blades, sir." She said.

"Thank you, Private first-class. Lance Corporal Levi Rivaille, is your wife's story accurate?" He started on Levi now.

"Yes it is." Levi said, staring daggers at the officer.

"So what was your motivation?" He smirked

"None other than saving a comrade." Levi said

" Come on, she's young, she's attractive if you don't mind me saying..." The officer gave Petra a look. She shivered and moved closer to Levi

"I do as a matter of fact." Levi said, interrupting him. Ignoring that, the officer kept going.

"You must have been in it for a reward, right? A little... Favor for a favor?"

"I did it to save a comrade. Nothing more. Now are you going to continue making inappropriate comments about my wife, or can this trial proceed?" Levi looked him dead in the eye. He wouldn't take this harassment. One more crack about sexual assault, and he was going to personally ensure that no one will have to worry about that from the officer. Petra squeezed Levi's hand and looked at him with her sorrowful eyes. In battle, elite warriors can formulate battle plans with only a single glance. The same can be said for off the battle field. She was telling him to calm down. It must be over soon.

"What inappropriate comments? your honor, I-" the officer played innocent.

"I agree with the lance corporal. This is not an interrogation, stand down." The judge said

"Well, who's gonna ask the questions?" The rude officer asked

"I will." A young man in the military police with black hair raised his left hand.

"Proceed then, Marco." The officer said as he walked over to his seat, handing the boy the questioner.

"Marlo, sir." He corrected. He looked over the question sheet, and started asking questions

"0kay... Sergeant Rivaille, I'm sorry to ask this, but could you please describe to the court the time in which the affair started and if you have your consent to his advances or not?" He asked politely.

"It started by the forest on an expedition. We were calming down our horses when about five titans showed up. We split up, and killed them in a matter of minutes. In a rush of adrenaline, we started kissing, and agreed to meet up in his room later that night when neither of us were on duty." Petra blushed

"Was that when your child was conceived, private first-class?" Marlo asked

"No, that was about three months later." Petra said

After a few more questions, the decision was made; Obviously, no sexual harassment was committed. Petra would be given a choice. To be given an honorable discharge and become a housewife with the best medical care for her and her baby, or to return to the scouting legion and act as she would normally but with light duty, a maternity harness, and lighter weight gear. No additional help would be given other than the higher-quality food and milk cow that the king had sent already. Petra, being as bold as she was, chose the latter. She was strong enough to survive missions and childbirth. As long as Levi was by her side, she could do anything.

While they were in the capital, they decided to do something rather rash. They decided to see the female titan. To try and get her out of her crystal prison and maybe even get her to talk. Hanji had figured that with all that had happened, Annie may have some humanity left. If she is talked to by the only survivor of her attacks, then maybe... Just maybe... she'd come out. There would be no telling how they would deal with her, though. They'd need information. Once they had that, she would probably be put on trial for all of those murders, and see if she would be willing to be used like Eren; a titan to seal wall Maria and help kill the titans inside and outside. Very unlikely, but worth a shot.

The passage to where they kept Annie was long and narrow. Just so much that a single human at a time could get through with ease, but not be caught by a titan hand if she broke out. The tunnel went about 10 meters underground. 5 meters shorter than Annie was in titan form. If she were to shift, there would be no way out for her. Finally, they arrived in the brightly lit room. In the center was a giant crystal with Annie Leonhardt inside of it. Levi gently dragged his sword against it.

"Tch... Not a scratch. What the hell is this thing made of?" He said to himself as he turned his attention to the crystal.

"Oi, Leonhardt. Remember me? My wife wants to talk to you. Just remember if you try anything, you're dead. I don't care how hard that crystal is, I'll kick right through it or slice it in half. Your choice." Levi smirked, but backed off as Petra walked up to it with that kind attitude that she'd always had .

"Annie Leonhardt? My name is Petra. You killed my comrades in the forest of giant trees and almost killed me. Do you remember at all?" She asked in a gentle, motherly tone. There was no response from Annie.

"... Can you see me?... Can you hear me?" She asked. No response.

"She knows what's waiting for her when she comes out." Levi said

"Heichou, please don't say that." Petra whispered

"You don't have to call me that anymore." Levi said

"As long as I'm on duty, I will." Petra said.

Annie heard them. She heard everything from her cacoon. She even heard both of their heartbeats... And... What was that tiny third heartbeat coming from? It was faster than theirs, and much more faint. The inside of the crystal started to melt a little as Annie opened her eyes out of curiosity. Levi and Petra went silent. The crystal became almost alive, letting Annie move around in it as she pleased. Curious about where this new heartbeat was coming from? She reached out, staring into Petra's eyes in curiosity. What was this glow she had? It was similar to a warm fire, or the sun after a long, rainy night. Curious of the source of the third heartbeat, Annie reached out, letting her hand escape the living crystal that was just loose enough on the inside to let her move. As she reached for Petra's swollen belly, Levi drew his sword and cut off the exposed arm. Annie quickly drew back, clutching the stub not in physical pain, but emotional. She looked at Petra feeling almost betrayed.

"Heichou... It's alright." Petra said. Hesitantly, she walked up to the crystal and smiled. Annie reached out with her left arm as the other regenerated. She laid her hand on Petra's belly again, and innocently looked up at her as to say 'What's in there?'.

"That's my baby." Petra smiled

"Ba... By?" Annie mouthed out, unable to speak through her cocoon.

"That's right. If you come out, I promise you'll get to see him or her. We think it's a-"

"Girl." Annie said as the crystal slowly shrank away past her face. She fell out onto the ground and the military police guards siezed her.

"Wow!" Levi said in surprise. They secured Annie in a straight jacket and took her away. The entire time, she looked at Petra with her curious gaze. Still wondering what was causing that third heartbeat.

In the following three months, Annie would be discovered to have amnesia that she somehow managed to give herself while in the crystal. No information could be gotten from her other than the fact that she was the female titan. She had reverted to an almost child-like state. She was a shell of her former self. The court granted custody of her to the scouting legion where Reiner and Bertholdt were trying to help her remember. Whatever their plan was would have to wait until Annie regained her memory. A heartbroken Bertholdt would spend his nights crying until then.


	5. Chapter 5

PRE-CHAPTER AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry I had to take the MMD screenshots down, but I wasn't aware that there was a rule against shipping them… sorry to the creators. I don't read rules other than names for crediting, so I'll start reading the rules so I don't fangasm all over MMD again and post it on tumblr.

FIXED THE GLITCH :D

Chapter 5:

A few of the soldiers in the scouting legion giggled as she struggled to get her newest harness to fit her. Then again, it wasn't often you see a nine-month pregnant woman gear up for killing titans. She promised Levi that this would be her last mission before the due date in a few weeks. It was only after a long argument eventually involving Hanji and Erwin that she was allowed to go. The formation was the same as always; Levi leading and Petra and Eren in the center, and Armin and Mikasa on either side of them. A winter trip to wall Maria had never been attempted before, but it was worth a shot, seeing as the titans would be slowed down by the freezing weather. They weren't headed far, just through the forest of giant trees to see the damage left after the encounter with the female titan. They passed so many piles of bones from what titans had thrown up. It was hard not to think about their fallen comrades, and their failed mission. Luckily, the warm front that had just passed the previous week has melted most of the snow, msking the terrain perfect for their horses and carriages. However, it was still a cold morning, and they were waiting for the Warmer afternoon that started to become typical of these days. During recent trips, Eren and Armin would break out into renditions of 'Don't drop that durka durk', which drove Levi to the point of insanity a few times. This time, however, it was silent. Nothing but an eerie, solemn tone. The piles of bones and gear were getting bigger and bigger. Finally came the source of all of the bone piles. A 15-meter class titan. He had carried the bodies That they had dumped on the way back from the previous expidition so many months ago. The aberrant was still tossing the last of the rotting corpses in his mouth. One corpse stood out though. It was dirty and faded, but his hairstyle resembled Levi's. it was blonde and curly, though. His rotted uniform bore the scouting legion's emblem. That couldn't be...  
"A… Auruo?" That was her friend about to be eaten. A rotten corpse maybe, but still her friend. The aberrant was sitting down now with the body in its hand. Petra couldn't stand it any longer. She had to get Auruo's body away from the titan. She quickly launched herself into the trees without a word. Levi, of course, followed her.

"So, what's the plan?" Levi asked with complete faith in his wife.

"That titan has Auruo's body. We need to get it back!—ouch!" Petra flinched at the slight pain that shot through her. Her harness must be too tight or something. She ignored it, and hooked her lines to the titan's neck. Another stomach pain, this one was worse than before.

"are you alright?" Levi asked as he notice the painful expression on her face.

"I'm fine!" she said as she sank her blades into the titan's neck. When she finished cutting through, however, she lost all momentum and fell. The Titan was dead, but Petra was being held up by her 3d maneuver gear between what was left of its neck and a tree

"L-L-L-Levi!" Petra called. He rushed over to see what had happened

"I think… the baby's coming." She said subconsciously. Without a word, he picked her up, and brought her over to the now stopped caravan.

"Hanji. Petra says that the baby's coming." Levi said.

"did her water break?" Hanji asked

"y-yeah… It's disgusting." Levi said as he laid Petra down on the empty carriage.

"It looks like she may be in shock too. Great." Hanji said as she woke her up. Petra felt Levi taking off her boots and harness and covering her with a blanket before removing her pants and underwear. She was in a daze, still thinking about how they could have saved Auruo's body. How she had killed the titan just before she… she… wait, what was happening? What was this pain in her stomach? How had she gotten there? She heard the sounds of galloping hooves, and people talking to eachother. She opened her eyes and saw barren tree canopies passing overhead. Levi was sitting next to her holding her hand . Hanji was… what was Hanji doing? Petra tried to get up, but the pain just didn't allow it.

"She's awake!" Levi said before directing his attention back to Petra.

"What's…" Petra suddenly felt the pain return, but this time, it was worse. She let out a groan.

"Petra, Listen to me. The baby's coming, and I need you to do exactly as I tell you right now." Hanji calmly said. Petra suddenly snapped back to reality.

"The- What? No, no, no! I don't want to have the baby here and now!" she said in pain.

"Petra, we really don't have any choice, it's coming fast." Hanji said calmly

"No, no no! My parents are supposed to be with me! I'm supposed to be at home!" Petra cried.

"Petra, calm down and breathe. It's not gonna happen. You're gonna have to have the baby here. We're not getting back to the wall for a while." Levi calmly held her hand. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. He was just as worried as she was, but he looked so brave. He was being strong for her. She squeezed his hand and screamed as another wave of pain came. This one much worse than the last few combined.

"Levi, sit her up. Petra, you need to breathe!" Hanji said.

"Why?" Levi asked

"Because that way, Gravity can do most of the work for her. Petra, breathe!" Hanji said. They did as they was told, but by then, the last thing Petra wanted to do was move. She let out another painful scream before breathing heavily.

"Okay, Petra. The baby's gonna come really soon. I need you to start pushing now." Hanji calmly said. Petra did as she was told and pushed as hard as she could. She started crying from the pain. Levi had no idea what to do other than try and say comforting things.

"You're doing great. Just keep pushing."

" I can't! It hurts so much!" Petra cried. This was like no pain that she had ever experienced before.

"Petra, stop focusing on the pain!" Hanji said

" It's all I can think about!" Petra cried. The wall was in sight now, but still far away. A titan came near, but the rear guards killed it. It was enough to get Petra's attention, but it just made things worse. She looked up in complete despair.

"Oh my god. My baby and I are going to be killed by titans!" She cried. Levi took both of her hands, simply fed up with the thought of them dying.

"Petra Rivaille, I will never let that happen. I will kill any titan that comes near you or the baby. You two are my family. My one and only family! I promise you that no matter what, I will protect you with my life!" he kissed her hands, not caring who saw. She looked into his eyes and saw the pure determination and even a hint of love replacing his usual stoic attitude. She started crying again. Not from the pain, but from the fact that she knew that he loved her more than himself, than killing titans, more than humanity itself. He would give his life for her as she would for him… as she almost did for him all those months ago. She took a few deep breaths, and started pushing again.

"That's right, Petra. Keep pushing. I'm starting to see the head." Hanji smiled at her. Another titan came closer, but was stopped in its tracks by Ymir.

"That thing better come out with swords and start killing titans." She joked. Petra kept concentrating on her baby, though. She pushed again

"Okay, you're almost there! One more and it should be out." Hanji said

"… You know… Levi…." Petra said between gasps of air

" what?" Levi asked

"Born on the… battlefield… that's…. one hell of a story… for the baby to tell… when it's in the trainee corps…" Petra said

"Yeah." Levi chuckled. Petra gave her last push and finally, the baby was born. Something was wrong, though. The baby wasn't crying or moving.

A silence fell upon the entire legion that could only watch their commanding officers' lives and hopes suddenly come crashing down.

"It's... a girl… Levi, Petra, I'm so sorry." Hanji quietly said, holding the tiny corpse.

"No... No, no, no! she didn't even get a chance! Hand her to me!" Levi said. Hanji handed him the dead infant. He did everything he could think of. He tried getting it to breathe like in the books and classes they took on emergency delivery and when babies stop breathing. The baby just wouldn't breathe. Petra lied back down in the carriage, watching. Watching her husband trying to resuscitate her dead child. The determination in his eyes had turned to desperation and fear. What was all that for? What did they have to show for the humiliation, the stress, the love, and the intense pain that had gone into making that mistake that they made into a welcomed gift from God? Nothing. Nothing but a tiny limp, pale, wet corpse in Levi's arms. Petra watched him rip off his cloak and wrap the baby in it. Rubbing the body to try and warm it up. He patted it, held it close to him, finally, he took off his jacket and wrapped that around the baby too. It fit just so the 'wings of freedom' emblem was right over the baby's heart. Suddenly, a sound was heard. It started out weak, like a quiet whimper, but progressively got stronger and stronger. Levi's eyes widened as he heard the dead child come back to life. Petra looked over in awe.

"Don't scare me like that ever again, you little brat." He smiled and looked at Petra with an amazed expression. "She's alive. She's filthy, but she's alive!" Levi handed the now squirming, crying baby to its mother.

"Anastasia. My Anastasia." Petra smiled, tears rushing down her face. The infant kept on screaming until she was fed. After that, she went to sleep in her mother's arms.

"Levi, can you take her? I'm so tired." Petra yawned

"of course." He smiled as his tiny daughter was handed back to him. Petra used her own cloak as a pillow, and fell asleep in the carriage.

"I love you." She said

"I love you too. You did great, Petra." He kissed her on the cheek as she fell asleep.

A few minutes later, they reached wall Rose where people were anxiously waiting to hear about the expedition. People had already started talking about how a retreat happened only three hours after the start of the expedition. Petra's parents were waiting there, not knowing what had happened to their daughter yet. Levi was now walking at the front of the caravan holding the sleeping bundle in his arms. Petra's parents instantly rushed to him, thinking the baby was just a coat and cloak.

"Levi-Heichou-dono! Where's Petra? Is she alright? What happened on the mission?" they asked, worried. Levi gazed lovingly into the newborn's bright hazel eyes. Other than small hints of black hair, she had an astonishing resemblance to Petra.

"Levi-Heichou-dono… What's that you're holding, anyway?" Petra's father asked. Erwin stopped the caravan once everyone was safe back inside the walls. So many people were asking what had happened and who had died. Some people said the usual about how their tax dollars were going into fattening up the titans again. Erwin stood up in front of the crowd and spoke;

"This expedition was to reclaim territory, but to also look further into Wall Maria's forest of giant trees. It was to see how the environments would change after five years of neglect. This was our first expedition of this type, and I can confidently say that we did not reclaim any territory, but we did recover the body of Auruo Bossard and a few others after eight months with absolutely no additional casualties. Families can now finally have the closure that they deserve." The crowd applauded in a mixed reaction of joy that the bodies were recovered and nobody died, and disappointment that land was not reclaimed.

"In addition…" he silenced the crowd. "As you all probably know, one of our soldiers was court marshaled with her husband for her becoming pregnant while on duty preparing. She was given a choice; return to active duty and carry on as normal, or go home. She chose to stay and fight for humanity today. This soldier was the one to spot the body of Auruo Bossard, and killed the titan about to devour it today. Soon after, she went into labor, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl while we were en route back to the walls." Erwin announced. The crowd cheered and applauded. Some, however shook their heads in light of Petra's reckless actions. Eventually, all eyes were directed towards the bundle in Levi's arms.

"… Her name is Anastasia Maria Rivaille. The filthy thing hasn't had a bath yet." Levi said in his usual monotone. "Her mother is resting until we can get her back to HQ." a crowd suddenly surrounded the two. Levi let Petra's parents hold Anastasia for a little while, and a very embarrassed Petra woke up to see the crowd of hundreds staring at her. She looked around for Levi and the baby who Hanji informed her were at the front. Once Levi found out Petra was awake, he immediately went back to her bringing her parents.

"Of all the reckless things you've done, I think this takes the cake." Her mother laughed

"Petra, she's so beautiful! She looks just like you!" Her father started crying

"Dad!" Petra smiled, then finally said "I think she looks like Levi."

"tch… With those eyes?" Levi said, imagining his daughter with his menacing stare.

Once they finally got through the crowds, they went back to headquarters. Anastasia was promptly given her first bath while Petra was brought down to the infirmary for treatment. After spending the night there, she was fine. A few days later, Anastasia would start demonstrating her version of the female titan's last-resort call.

Post-chapter author's note: the story isn't over… I'll go more into Anastasia's life growing up, and how much awesomeness she has. Also, I'll be going into how Levi and Petra adjust to life as parents… this should be interesting… maybe I'll do a 15-year time jump, but I think that's too much time seeing how fast it's going in the manga.


	6. Chapter 6

WARNING: PLOT CONTAINS A LOT OF CHEESY CLICHES ….

Almost immediately after they arrived at HQ and everyone was settled in, Levi was sent away to miss the first week of his daughter's life. He and Erwin were summoned to wall Sina to fill out paperwork regarding Anastasia's birth. There were reams of it involving birth abroad, having a spouse give birth on active duty, applying for Petra's maternity leave on her behalf along with Levi's Paternity leave, and the record of a stillborn resuscitation. Not to mention the court hearings on child welfare and whether or not to hand the baby over to her grandparents until her parents had finished serving. Armin even had to be summoned to the capital as well to help write a speech that would convince the royal court to let them keep the baby. By the time Levi had returned to the fortress after clawing his way through all of the red tape, he had no energy to do more than curl up under his sheets and fall asleep.  
The next morning, he, along with the entire fort, was awoken by a very loud wail. The sun was just coming up, so he dragged himself out of bed and to the source of the unholy noise (recognizing it immediately as Anastasia.) It came from down the hall, and suddenly went quiet. He sped up his walking pace. What had happened? Was the baby ok? What if a Titan had somehow gotten through? What if Annie had gotten her memory back? No… she was under even more security than Eren. Even if she had escaped, she would never have gotten far. He got to the baby's room, and heard voices.  
"That's it. What a good girl. Okay, no need to be fussy." It was Petra's voice. He opened the door and walked in. Petra was sitting in the rocking chair, feeding Anastasia. Levi smiled and kissed Petra on the cheek.  
"Welcome home." She smiled back  
"I missed you two." Levi said  
"we missed you." She said. The infant looked up at her father with her now wide-open hazel eyes and reached out for him to hold her. Levi complied. Petra just sat there with a smile on her face. Levi just looked right holding the baby. It was as if there were no titans to worry about all of a sudden. The world wasn't coming to an end, there were no walls, and Petra and Levi weren't needed by anyone other than Anastasia. Finally, after a few minutes of that sweet silence, Levi spoke up.  
"So, what did I miss?"  
"Not much." Petra said, "she has a little trouble sleeping through the night, but Hanji says that that's normal. She absolutely adores Eren."  
"Wait, wait, wait... You let the titan brat hold our child?" Levi asked, somewhat, in horror and over-protectiveness.  
"I didn't see the harm in a couple of minutes. She reached out for him like she did for you, and she didn't fuss at all while he was holding her. She hasn't even been in the same room as Annie. I won't let her near her until she proves to not be a threat to humanity. She likes everyone else. Not as much as Eren, though."  
"I swear to god, you better not act like Shitty Glasses around titans when you grow up." Levi said to the baby in a stern voice.  
"Levi, language." Petra scolded.  
"Sorry..." He said, taking another look into Anastasia's face. She looked so much like Petra... She had a few of Levi's features as well, though. His nose, his ears, and his hair color showed through all of Petra's traits. This was the first real time he had actually thought about the idea of being a father. This tiny moving creature that he held in his arms was his daughter. The product of what had started out as a partnership, then friendship, then secret romance. She was going to grow up to be whatever she wanted to be. Be that a soldier, artist, or even a housewife or merchant. The possibilities were endless, and for the first time, Levi had something tangible to fight for. He and Petra. This little girl would be counting on them to come home from every single mission. To tuck her in every night, to encourage her, to raise her, and to love her. To fight for her and the rest of humanity not just as soldiers, but as parents too.

"Heichou! You're back!" Eren suddenly walked into the room. Never before had he seen an angrier look on a man holding a baby.

"What do you want?" He said

"We cleaned the baby's room again and wanted to know your opinion on it." Eren said. Levi handed Anastasia back to her mother, and they followed Eren. The room was completely spotless. There was a large tapestry of the scouting legion emblem that hung next to the crib, and the room was filled with dozens of decorations and toys from the garrison regiment and scouting legion. And even a music box from the king himself. After taking a look around, Levi finally stated his opinion:

"Not bad. Could be better, but not bad." This was Levi's highest compliment. They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what's the deal with maternity leave?" Petra finally asked

"well, they said that I only have three weeks, but you have two months to get back up to speed."

"that's good." She said. Although she was in batlle literally up until the moment she gave birth, the baby took a lot out of her, and she needed the time to get back up on her feet. Not to mention how much she wanted to be with her baby. She wasn't ready to quit the scouting legion just yet, though. As long as there was a titan to fight, she would not be ready to abandon her husband and comrades in battle for anything. She wanted the baby to grow up in a world where she can walk outside the walls without fear of titans. Her dream was for them all to see the ocean. For Anastasia to play in the waves and collect those rocks that they had read about called 'seashells'.

"Corporal! There's a 15-meter-class coming this way!" Jean's voice snapped Petra out of her daydream.

"Is it Leonhardt?" Levi asked

"No, she's with Reiner and Bertholdt." Jean replied

"Alright... Petra. Take Anastasia to a safe place. I'll take care of it." Levi said, sternly. Petra gently, but quickly carried the baby to the basement. Once down there, she put her down on Eren's bed, and put on the 3D maneuver gear that she kept for emergencies in a chest. Once that was on, she picked up the baby and held her close. Ready for anything.

The titan wasn't hurting anyone. It was an abberant of some sort. Covering the nape of his neck, it became clear that this could very well be a scared human in a titan's body. Its features were odd as well. it had eyes somewhat resembling the female titan's only a golden color. its build was more strong than the usual fat in titans. Not as muscly as Eren, but still… something about this aberrant seemed familiar… impossible… a third of him was eaten, there was no way-… The entire squad watched his body get cremated. The sensitivity, of the titan, however, was a dead giveaway. The way it watched its step, and made sure not to crush anything. It was scared and confused.

"Corporal! I think I know who's inside that titan!" Jean finally said

"Are they an enemy?" he asked

"just the opposite! He's a… a good friend of mine… we have to save him!" Jean said urgently

"It's too risky. With that titan covering its neck like that, not even I can get through and guarantee he'd come out alive." Levi said.

"Wait, what if I can help? What if I can get him to uncover his neck for long enough that you can cut him out?" Jean asked

"Kirschtein, I can't have you risking your life on a hunch. Stand back." Levi said

"No! I-…" Jean compulsively launched his lines into the titan's forehead, and zipped up to its nose, remembering what happened to Mikasa when she did the same to Eren.

"Marco, are you in there?" He asked. The titan's eye opened wide in recognition of Jean's voice, but kept his hands over his neck.

"Marco, it's me! I promise we're gonna get you out of there! just take your hands off your neck. The titan's eyes closed in fear again.

"Jean, get down from there before you get hurt!" Eren shouted

"No! We have to prove to him that we're good! You're an angry titan, why not him being a timid titan?" Jean protested "wait, what about the baby?"

"out of the question!" Levi said

"Dammit! Come on, Corporal. He wouldn't go near her, just seeing her may calm him down!" Jean said

"absolutely not!" Levi said angrily

"Jean,you said yourself that you saw Marco's body! How can that titan possibly be him?" Eren shouted

"Half of him was eaten! What if that half regrew and he was okay? What if he's a titan shifter? Please… Marco…" Jean started to cry out of desperation. He wanted to badly for this titan to be Marco.

"I have an idea!" Hanji spoke up "regardless of whether or not this titan is Marco, we have a timid titan that isn't struggling against force. Maybe we can get him out through some…" she giggled in excitement "experiments".

Jean protested at first, but they may end up capturing this mysterious titan, calling it 'Marco' in honor of the human that it resembled and may very well be. Nothing would be for sure, though. Another flash of lightning. This time, it was the female titan that appeared. Without a word, she took Jean off of The titan's face, put him down on the ground gently, and bit out the nape of the titan's neck. Jean could only watch in shock as she spat out the chunk of flesh on the ground in front of him, and proceeded to the enterance to the basement.  
"Not this time, you bitch." Levi cut her Achilles tendon and she tripped. The fight wasn't over yet, though. Annie wasn't far from her goal, and no one could tell what she was up to. could she be after Petra and Anastasia? Why would she be? Levi was catching up to her, though. The ankle sprain that he had received fighting her the last time was long since healed, so he could go at her at full force. He couldn't go at her neck, though. She'd expect that, and harden her skin accordingly. He could even see her cover her neck. He would go for her free arm. That was what was closest to the door, already fidgeting with the lock as her tendons healed. He quickly adjusted his gear. He would go for the fingers first, then the wrist. It was too dangerous to go for the shoulder. That is how Erd died, after all. Suddenly, an arm grabbed his as he was about to launch.

"What, Erwin?"

"I don't think she's out to hurt anybody. Besides, Hanji's already getting the cannons we used last time ready to demobilize her before she gets to anyone." Erwin said calmly. Fatigued from all that had happened in the past week, he shrugged off his commander.

"I almost lost them once. It's not gonna happen again. I won't let my wife die cowering in a basement or our daughter, who hasn't even got a chance to fight yet." Levi's hatred was people dying without reason. Most of his squad had died like that, and he would be damned if history was gonna repeat itself. The female titan effortlessly pried off the door. Petra was there with Anastasia in her arms. She reached for the infant, and promptly had her fingers chopped off. Calmly, she reached for Anastasia with the other hand. This time, her skin was hardened. Petra slashed Back only to have the blade break in two. Quickly, she reloaded the blade while holding the baby in one arm. Levi struggled in Erwin's grip.  
"Let me go!" He shouted  
"Sir, the cannons are ready and awaiting your command." Hanji said as she ran up to hold Levi back  
"Fire at will!" He ordered. In an instant, thousands of immobilizing lines shot into the female titan's body and especially her jaw so she would be unable to summon any titans to eat her again. She struggled against  
The lines, and unbelievably was able to take the baby from Petra's grasp amid all of the confusion.  
"ANASTASIA!" Petra screamed in surprise. Levi struggled more and more, desperate to save his family. The female titan simply held the infant in her hand, though. Not meaning any harm. She simply stared at her. She finally had found the source of that third heartbeat. It was a little slower and much stronger now, but that was the heart that Annie had heard the day she got out of the crystal. This was it. How did it get out of Petra? Was it like a seed of some sort that grew inside of her? What was a baby? Why did it seem different from, but the same as normal humans. The living being stated right back at her with an equal amount of curiosity. Whatever was holding her was much bigger than mommy or daddy. Why was it so big?where was mommy anyway? The baby started to cry and the female titan became worried. Maybe the baby needed to be held tighter. Just then, a stabbing pain flew across her wneck and wrist and the her point of view went back to Annie Leonhardt's. Levi had been given the order to apprehend Annie while Eren rescued the baby. Meanwhile, the chunk of flesh in front of jean was still dissolving. He sat there on the ground in shock. A hand stuck out.  
"J-Jean..."


End file.
